Blog Rewind: Thoughts on Thanksgiving

I read this today and wanted to share it with you. In this economy, at this time of tight budgets and potential frustration, reading this helps me find a bit of perspective.


"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."


~H.U. Westermayer




Blessings on your day!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Last year, I was asked to write something to share during our Thanksgiving service. This is what I read...

It’s easy to get caught up in the big things. Big plans. Big changes. Big vacations. Big, big, big.

Sometimes, when I am lost in the planning or dreaming of things that are far outside my reach, I miss it. The striving and pushing forward for whatever might come next hides what is happening right now. But not today. I don’t want to miss it today. I need to stand still and look around at the blessings all around me. Blessings that are, not blessings that could be. The wonder of the ordinary right before my eyes.

Here is some of what I see…

I drove my kids to school yesterday in seven year old van that runs. The same van that 10 days ago sounded like a semi coming down our street. This is certainly something to be thankful for! When we got out at school, my children wore warm winter coats and ran through the rain to get inside. A month ago, we were working and saving and preparing for being sure that winter clothes were close at hand. Noah and I walked into school last and he looked at me and said, “I love my school, Mom.” And I smiled and said I did, too. This school that we so love looked fully impossible just 3 months back. I stayed at school yesterday and bopped in and out of their classrooms where students buzzed with excitement about a long holiday weekend and I saw my children singing and praying and laughing and running and soaking it all right up. And for all of this and so much more, I am grateful…

Last night, we had hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls for dinner. All of us home. All of us together. No games, no distraction, no where to be. It was not a gourmet meal but relaxing and enjoying its simplicity was just what we needed. Just enough. While we ate, Elizabeth wore a necklace made of noodles and Josiah still had pilgrim clothes on from his celebration at school. After dinner, Benjamin curled in a corner reading a book about a boy adopted in Korea and Noah shot baskets in the rain. And for all of this, and so much more, I am grateful.

Before they went to bed, we gathered in the kitchen and the kids cut bread into cubes for stuffing. Our daily bread in a very real way. While Benjamin arranged the cubes perfectly so that they would all dry evenly, Noah learned to pack brown sugar and Josiah and Elizabeth added spices to homemade pumpkin pie. It will not be a catered meal or a fancy meal but it will be something we all did together… something that they learned to do with Mark and I standing right close by. As I watched my family working together, the house smelled like baking and the kids chattered on and even in its simplicity, it normalcy, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of contentment… a sense that all of this is blessing to us… all of this is enough for us… and honestly, right now, we do not need much more… for all of this and so much more, I am grateful.

Working in the kitchen, Fingers in mouths tasting Thanksgiving treats. Laughter bubbling forth over a shared inside joke. Family together with no where to be. Completely, wholly, wonderfully ordinary. Sometimes, its good for me to stop chasing, stand still and look around. What about the next big thing? Today I know full well that THIS is the biggest thing. Driving my kids to school to a school they love. Listening to their words laughing and talking and sharing their day. Making dinner in the kitchen with my husband and our kids. For this and so much more, especially today, I am grateful.

Blessings on your Thanksgiving Day.

Good Gravy!!

Gravy. Some folks pop open a can or a jar and call it good. Some folks think it is an impossible thing to create... The truth is, it's easy as pie! Well, easier than pie... I think pie can be kind of tricky! :)

Wanna learn how? You are going to LOVE this...

You will need:

-a roasted turkey with plenty of juices in the pan
-some canned broth (chicken or turkey), just in case
(Pan juices and canned broth together, look for around 4 cups)
-a stick of butter
-a half cup of flour
-seasoning to taste (salt and sage, especially)

Here is what I do...

I use a gravy separator. This is a special measuring cup that allows the fat in pan juices to separate from the usable broth. This is really handy when making turkey! On Thanksgiving, you will need a lot of gravy. So, after the turkey is done, I move it to a platter and collect the juices in my separator. When we talked about making turkey, I told you that I add several cans of broth to my turkey pan. I want a lot of pan juices so I can be sure to make enough gravy. I keep a couple of cans of broth on hand too, in case I do not feel like I have enough juices.

While the juices separate, I start the roux. The roux is the best way to ensure a smooth gravy, lump-free! How do you do it? Easy, peasy! In a saucepan, melt a stick of butter. Once it is melted, sprinkle a half cup of flour into the saucepan. Keep the heat on... about medium. Stir this butter and flour mix and watch it carefully. You are making a paste... though it will be a bit softer than a paste. As it cooks, it will foam up and you will stir it and it will settle down again. What you are trying to do is cook the flour. Cooked flour will add a nice, almost nutty, flavor to your gravy. As this cooks, you will notice it starting to change to a darker color. I usually let this cook, while I stir, until it is a light caramel color.

By now, my pan juices have separated and I can see the juices on the bottom of my separator and the fat on the top. I do not need the fat in my gravy. Slowly and carefully, I start to add the juices to the roux. It will bubble up quickly and it will be HOT... be careful. (I wear oven mitts.) Watch the separator while you pour so that the fat stays in the cup and only the juices are used.
Stir constantly.

Now, once you have used all your pan juices, look at the gravy. Is it the consistency you enjoy? The thickness or thinness of gravy is a personal decision. You might not even need all your pan juices. Watch as you stir. If it is still too thick after your juices are added, begin using canned broth. Stirring constantly over low heat, keep adding broth until your gravy is as thick as you would like it to be.

I keep my gravy over low heat until we are ready to eat. It is the last thing I put on the table. Be sure to taste the gravy before you serve it. You can add some salt, pepper or sage to taste.

You can use this same recipe to make any kind of gravy, at all. I use this recipe for our weekly Sunday dinner... though for a regular meal like that, I use a half stick of butter and a quarter cup of flour. I do not need nearly as much gravy on a Sunday as I do on Thanksgiving day. :)

This gravy recipe is easy and always turns out well. I have tried the water and flour gravy and the cornstarch gravy but the flavor of roux gravy is so much richer! Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

Blessings on your day!

Stellar Stuffing--You Can Do It!

For those of you who have gotten some strange blog posts delivered to your inbox lately, I apologize. I have had a couple of blog issues lately. This post is the one that was supposed to go out today! Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is getting so close, you can almost smell it! :) I am so excited! As someone who likes to cook, I am eager to get going and start putting together this absolutely amazing meal.

Last week, we talked about how to make that turkey. Easy peasy, right? The stuffing is simple, too! Today, let's talk about how to make great stuffing from scratch. If you have never done this before, no worries. Making this important part of the Thanksgiving meal is a no-stress deal.

I told you last week, that I am really about straightforward food. If you want cranberries in your stuffing... or even sausage... you go ahead. For me, I love stuffing... good, old-fashioned stuffing. Nothing fancy, nothing tricky, nothing unusual. But feel free to do what works for you.

So, what do you need?

-A pot with water and the neck, heart, etc... you found in your turkey
-Lots of bread
-A bag of stuffing (I like Pepperidge Farm)
-Sage
-Salt and Pepper
-Celery
-Onion
-A can or two of broth

I start the day before Thanksgiving. The process takes a bit of time but is totally worth it. I usually have a selection of bread... some wheat, some white, some "stuffing" bread. I clear the island in my kitchen, cut the bread into cubes and lay it on the island to dry. I like some of the cubes to be toasted, as well. Some of the bread is then put into a pan and popped into the oven until it browns slightly. Once that is done, I put it back on the island to keep drying.

Stuffing needs to be flavored and the taste that makes you think about poultry is sage. So, with the stuffing still on the island, I sprinkle dried sage all over it. I add salt and pepper... and if I have poultry seasoning (which also has sage in it) I will sprinkle that over the cubes, too.

Still on Wednesday, I will cut a bunch of celery and a good-sized onion. I bag these and put them into the fridge to be ready on Thanksgiving morning.

When I wake up on Thursday, it is time to put the whole deal together. In the turkey blog post, we talked about putting all those parts you found inside your turkey into a pot of water. Start by putting this on the stove and simmering it gently. I add salt, pepper and a bunch of sage. (I use powdered, not fresh... but you could use either.) Let this is cook away. You are creating a broth to be used to make your stuffing.

While that simmers, I put all my bread cubes into a huge bowl. I always have too much bread... though I would rather have too much than too little. I add one package of Pepperidge Farm prepared stuffing to this mix. I have not always done it this way, but their stuffing is very good and adds a firmness to my homemade mix. To this bowl, I add most of the onion and at least two big handfuls of celery. (I would love to give you amounts... but I don't cook that way. Look at it while you put it together... if you don't see enough of anything, add more. Stuffing is very forgiving!)

Once the turkey parts have cooked through in the water on the stove, it is time to put the stuffing together. It can be helpful to have a can or two of broth on hand. (If you find canned turkey broth, get bunches!) Now, start adding the broth you have in the pot on the stove to the bowl of bread. Stir it up and then add more. Keep doing this until your stuffing starts to come together. I don't want stuffing that is dripping wet... just moist throughout. If you run out of broth from the pot on the stove, keep going with canned broth. The bread will start to fall apart a bit and it will begin to look like stuffing. Take a minute to smell your mix. Does it smell like stuffing? Toy with your seasonings a bit... but most likely, if it still smells like bread, you need more sage. I am careful with salt... this is easily added to taste when the stuffing is served.

So, what do you do with it? That is totally up to you! I like to have stuffing in my turkey and stuffing that is cooked separately. If you choose to stuff the turkey, remember to extend your roasting time and be SURE the stuffing is hot enough before removing the bird from the oven. Because you used real broth from real turkey parts, it must be cooked through. Also, remember to stuff both cavities in your turkey. The neck cavity is my favorite stuffing of all! (I stuff the bird while it is in the roasting pan and tuck the skin under the bird to keep it in.)

The stuffing in a pan is actually called "dressing"... but I call it all stuffing, anyway! :) For that pan, I put stuffing in, smooth it across the top and bake it in the oven until it is hot through and through. You will know it is done when it is 165 degrees in the center. (Remember how I told you that thermometer would come in handy?) When the stuffing is starting to get close to that temperature, I will often put a bit of butter on the top. This helps to create that crispy top on your dressing. I don't do that to the stuffing in a turkey because there is enough "fat" from the turkey to do the same thing.

So, that's all there is to it! If you can cube bread, you can make your own homemade stuffing. Feeling creative? There are millions of recipes that add other ingredients to this tried and true mix. You can try cranberries, clams, sausage, eggs... the list is endless!

Last year, my family made stuffing together. My kids and I stood around the island in the kitchen and diced bread and talked and laughed... Sitting down around our Thanksgiving table meant something new to us, last year. Creating the meal together created far more than food. We made memories, my family and I.

And that is something that lasts far longer than the dinner we shared...

Blessings on your day.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

Thanksgiving is possible only for those who take time to remember; no one can give thanks who has a short memory. ~Author Unknown

Talking Turkey: Easy Peasy

It's almost Thanksgiving. Are you getting ready? I am getting pretty excited because the whole Thanksgiving weekend is just so very fun for our family. But, before we get to the fun, it will be time to cook. If you read this blog every now and then, you know I love to cook!

I also know there are LOTS of people who are worried about all this baking and cooking and sauteing and such. There are commercials showing harried women pulling gargantuan turkeys in and out of the oven with sweat on their weary brows. There are millions of magazine articles laying out complex turkey recipes with fruit and flavors that will send many women to the grocery store, hunting through stacks of specialty items. It all seems so hard. So overwhelming. With so much speaking to the craziness of it all, it must be really complex. Right?

Nah. Not at all. The truth of the matter is a turkey is really easy to make. Seriously.

So, here is a bit of self disclosure. When it comes to food, I am a bit of a purist. I love when a turkey tastes like a turkey. Do not look for pomegranate seeds in my stuffing. The straightforward flavor of the bird itself is the flavor of Thanksgiving to me. So, I will tell you what I do... but know that about me up front. That said, my turkey is never dry, always tastes good and receives rave reviews from my fam.

Wanna learn how? No stress, I promise.

First of all, gotta have a bird. I plan a pound per person plus a little bit more because I LOVE leftovers. So, count your folks and buy a bird. What bird? That is your call... but I sure love a Butterball.

Next, your bird needs to be defrosted by the time you are ready to cook. It's a tricky thing because it takes FOREVER to defrost. The Butterball website says to plan on putting your bird in the oven for one day for every four pounds. It always makes me nervous to keep poultry in my fridge that long so I prefer cold water thawing... 30 minutes per pound in the wrapper in cold water in your sink. If you don't want to thaw a turkey, you can always buy it fresh.

Now, to make the turkey, you want to be sure you sink and counters are CLEAN. I like to have a bleach spray on hand for cleaning up after preparing your bird. On your counter, put a pot, your roasting pan sprayed with Pam and with that string lifter thingy set inside, some salt (I like Kosher salt.) and some paper towels. Remember, you do not want to touch lots of stuff with turkey juice on your hands. Keep your food and your kitchen safe.

Start but putting the turkey in the sink and cutting open the wrapper. There will be juices. Don't freak out. :) While the bird is sitting in there, find the giblet bag(s). In the main opening of the turkey, there will likely be one. In the neck opening there might be another. Dump these into water in the pot on your sink. We will get back to that in a later blog.

To roast a turkey, you will need to rinse it out. You are going to get wet. It's okay. Stick your hand inside that big opening and feel around in there. There should not be lots of hanging things. If there are, pull them out. Run cold water through there and dump it out. Put your bird into the roasting pan, breast side up. Once it is in there, wash your hands with hot water and soap. Poultry is one of those things you gotta be careful with!

When you hands are clean, open the oil and then pour some salt into your hand. I put the salt in my right hand. I keep my left hand away from the bird for now. Stick your salty hand into that big opening in your bird and rub the salt all over inside. With your clean hand, grab the oil ( I use canola for this.) and rub the skin of the bird. Get it all over the turkey. Not gobs, just enough that it looks good and shiny. (Some folks use butter for this... that can totally work... but I use oil... I am always afraid that butter will burn. Now, wash your hands again.

Nothing too tricky yet, right? :)

Now, if you go to the Butterball site, they will tell you that you should preheat your oven to 325 degrees. I don't do that. I set my oven higher, to about 400 degrees. What I want is to get a good seal on the skin. Starting hot works for me.

So preheat your oven to whatever you choose. Take out the extra shelf and put your turkey in the oven. What about stuffing, you ask? We will talk about that in an upcoming blog. Also, crazy easy. But for today, let's set it aside.

I put the turkey in the oven and let it start roasting away. When I start to smell turkey smells in my house, I go and check on the bird. If there is a little color on the skin, I lower the temperature to 325 degrees. (Probably about 30-45 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower.

Is it covered?

Is it in a baking bag?

Do I put on a lid?

Heaven's no! I don't like a soggy bird. I don't want to steam it, I want to roast it. But do what works for you. :) Some folks swear by those methods... and some of it works great. You need the turkey to taste the way Thanksgiving tastes to you.

Now, the bird will cook for a while. I do baste it from time to time but I think that has more to do with my feeling like I have to DO something than any need the bird has. I have a great baster from Pampered Chef that I just love to use.

The other thing I love to do is add cans of turkey or chicken broth to the roasting pan while it roasts. You don't have to do this but the canned broth tastes so much better if it has been cooking with the drippings from the bird. What difference does it make? None. Unless you want gravy. I know I do! And I like to have plenty of gravy. After all, there will certainly be leftovers!

You will follow the roasting guide that comes with your turkey or find another one here. But, don't ignore the turkey to pay attention to the clock. If my turkey skin starts to get really brown, I make a tent out of foil and put it over my bird. No matter how the bird looks, it is not done until it registers 180 degrees deep in the thigh. If you haven't already, go ahead and buy a meat thermometer. They are handy to have anyway.

Here is the thing. It's cooked or its not. You have to be sure that it is. The juices should run clear. If they are red at all, your turkey is not cooked. Not sure what color they are? Let them run into a spoon. Red drippings mean the meat is not safe to eat. Keep roasting it.

(BTW, I have mistakenly taken the turkey out too soon. I don't recommend it. I finished the cooking, after slicing, in the microwave but it was not nearly as good as keeping it in the oven the right amount of time.)

When you finally get the right temperature, pull that turkey out and let it sit a while. It will not cool off. You have time, lots of time! Don't even think about it again until you are almost ready to eat. Get everything else ready. Then slice the turkey and take it right to the table. I am not the queen of slicing... but I work it out anyway. Sometimes, you will have someone sharing Thanksgiving dinner with you who loves to slice. If so, let them do it! :)

So, lets review:

How to Roast a Turkey in 50 Words or Less!

1. Buy a turkey.

2. Defrost said turkey.

3. Rinse your bird.

4. Put in pan

5. Salt your bird.

6. Oil the skin.

7. Calculate roasting time.

8. Heat oven.

9. Put bird in.

10. Let it cook.

11. Baste if you wanna.

12. Check the temperature.

13. Take it out if done.

12. Let it sit.

13. Cut it up.

15. Feast!

Not too tricky, huh?

Once you get the hang of it, you can try other stuff... but first just master the basic deal. Serving the turkey just like this will have your guests going on and on about how amazing you are. I promise. It doesn't take much to make people happy. :) And after hours of smelling that bird roasting away, they are ready to enjoy the meal.

The holidays can be stressful. There are a million things to take care of and so much cooking to do. But, dear friends, do not buy into the common theory that the turkey is what is going to be hard. It really isn't. It is just as easy as roasting a chicken... and if you haven't done that before, you can use these directions to get it done.

Now, let's share some tips! What do you like to add to your bird that makes it taste like Thanksgiving to you? Or, share what dish has to be on that table, beside the bird! I would love to hear your thoughts! I am always looking for new ideas.

Just remember this... the Thanksgiving turkey? Easy peasy. Give it try! I will post about stuffing and gravy soon so be sure to stop by again!

Blessings on your day!

Blog Rewind: Thanksgiving Thoughts

"Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now." ~A.W. Tozer

Blessings on your day!

Thanksgiving Thoughts

~I was asked to share some thoughts at church this morning. Below is what I read during our Thanksgiving service. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you today.~

It’s easy to get caught up in the big things. Big plans. Big changes. Big vacations. Big, big, big. Sometimes, when I am lost in the planning or dreaming of things that are far outside my reach, I miss it. The striving and pushing forward for whatever might come next hides what is happening right now. But not today. I don’t want to miss it today. I need to stand still and look around at the blessings all around me. Blessings that are, not blessings that could be. The wonder of the ordinary right before my eyes.

Here is some of what I see…

I drove my kids to school yesterday in seven year old van that runs. The same van that 10 days ago sounded like a semi coming down our street. This is certainly something to be thankful for! When we got out at school, my children wore warm winter coats and ran through the rain to get inside. A month ago, we were working and saving and preparing for being sure that winter clothes were close at hand. Noah and I walked into school last and he looked at me and said, “I love my school, Mom.” And I smiled and said I did, too. This school that we so love looked fully impossible just 3 months back. I stayed at school yesterday and bopped in and out of their classrooms where students buzzed with excitement about a long holiday weekend and I saw my children singing and praying and laughing and running and soaking it all right up. And for all of this and so much more, I am grateful…

Last night, we had hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls for dinner. All of us home. All of us together. No games, no distraction, no where to be. It was not a gourmet meal but it was relaxing and we enjoyed its simplicity, just what we needed. Just enough. While we ate, Elizabeth wore a necklace made of noodles and Josiah still had pilgrim clothes on from his celebration at school. After dinner, Benjamin curled in a corner reading a book about a boy adopted from Korea and Noah shot baskets in the rain. And for all of this, and so much more, I am grateful.

Before they went to bed, we gathered in the kitchen and the kids cut bread into cubes for stuffing. Our daily bread in a very real way. While Benjamin arranged the cubes perfectly so that they would all dry evenly, Noah learned to pack brown sugar and Josiah and Elizabeth added spices to homemade pumpkin pie. It will not be a catered meal or a fancy meal but it will be something we all did together… something that they learned to do with Mark and I standing right close by. As I watched my family working together, the house smelled like baking and the kids chattered on and even in its simplicity, it normalcy, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of contentment… a sense that all of this is blessing to us… all of this is enough for us… and honestly, right now, we do not need much more… for all of this and so much more, I am grateful.

Working in the kitchen, fingers in mouths tasting Thanksgiving treats. Laughter bubbling forth over a shared inside joke. Family together with no where to be. Completely, wholly, wonderfully ordinary. Sometimes, its good for me to stop chasing, stand still and look around. What about the next big thing? Today I know full well that THIS is the biggest thing. Driving my kids to school to a school they love. Listening to their words laughing and talking and sharing their day. Making dinner in the kitchen with my husband and our kids. For this and so much more, especially today, I am grateful.

Thinking about Thankfulness

"Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now." ~A.W. Tozer

Blessings on your day!

Thinking about Thankfulness

I read this today and wanted to share it with you. In this economy, at this time of tight budgets and potential frustration, reading this helps me find a bit of perspective.

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."

~H.U. Westermayer

Blessings on your day!